Final Report of the International Commission on the - Minority Rights ...

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Romanian Jews with <strong>the</strong> same treatment as Hungarian Jews. Because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> change in <strong>the</strong> Romanian government policy concerning <strong>the</strong> protection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Romanian Jews abroad at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> spring 1943, <strong>the</strong> German occupation authorities in France and Belgium stopped arresting Romanian Jews. Twelve <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> latter were repatriated from Belgium. In November 1943, <strong>the</strong> arrests <strong>of</strong> Romanian Jews in France did resume, but only briefly; on November 8 <strong>the</strong> Romanian Ambassador in Vichy affirmed that all arrests had ended, and all Romanian Jews were required to return to Romania by December 31. On December 3 <strong>the</strong> same representative interceded with <strong>the</strong> German police chief in Lyon to cease interfering with repatriation. It is estimated that more than 4,000 Romanian Jews in France survived as a result <strong>of</strong> such diplomatic interventions, several hundred being repatriated on a train that crossed Reich territory. In fact, even though <strong>the</strong> repatriated Jews were supposed to be deported to Transnistria, Ion Antonescu consented to <strong>the</strong>ir remaining in Romania. Statistical Data on <strong>the</strong> Holocaust in Romania and <strong>the</strong> Territories under Its Control In 1930, 756,930 Jews lived in Greater Romania. They comprised 4.2 percent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country’s eighteen million inhabitants. By 1940 slightly fewer than 800,000 Jews lived in Romania according to <strong>the</strong> director-general <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Central Institute <strong>of</strong> Statistics <strong>of</strong> Romania. This number, from <strong>the</strong> yearly updates published by <strong>the</strong> Institute, is based on <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1930 census. Archival materials collected both before and after <strong>the</strong> opening <strong>of</strong> archives in <strong>the</strong> former communist countries have been used to evaluate <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> Jewish victims, deportees, and survivors; this includes data from Romanian archives as well as from Soviet archives (Chisinau, Odessa, Nikolaev, Moscow-Ossobi). Copies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> original documents can be found in <strong>the</strong> archives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Yad Vashem. In addition to <strong>the</strong> information <strong>the</strong>se documents provide regarding <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> Jews under Romanian rule, <strong>the</strong>y also reveal that <strong>the</strong> Antonescu regime carefully monitored <strong>the</strong> extermination process. The Number <strong>of</strong> Jews in Bessarabia and Bukovina in August 1941 Bessarabia. At <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> August in 1941, after <strong>the</strong> order to “cleanse <strong>the</strong> land” had been issued and partially carried out, <strong>the</strong> Romanian gendarmerie counted 55,887 Jews left in Bessarabia and Bukovina. However, <strong>the</strong>re were o<strong>the</strong>r Jews not included in <strong>the</strong> count. The “disorder” that took place in <strong>the</strong> Chisinau ghetto—<strong>the</strong> pillage <strong>of</strong> Jews for personal ra<strong>the</strong>r than state pr<strong>of</strong>it—angered Antonescu, who ordered <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong> an investigative commission led by Colonel Nicolescu. The commission’s report, contains <strong>the</strong> Antonescu administration’s orders to kill <strong>the</strong> Jews, basically confirms <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> Jews counted in Bessarabia (55,867 Jews, not including <strong>the</strong> county <strong>of</strong> Hotin), and also mentions 25,000 o<strong>the</strong>r Jews “who died a natural death, escaped or were shot.” The total number <strong>of</strong> Jews found <strong>the</strong>re, <strong>the</strong>n, amounted to roughly 80,000. By <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> July 1941, before <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficial surrender <strong>of</strong> Transnistria to <strong>the</strong> Romanian administration, Romanian soldiers and gendarmes concentrated tens <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> Jews in nor<strong>the</strong>rn Bessarabia and began forcing <strong>the</strong>m to leave Bessarabia by crossing <strong>the</strong> Dniester River, shooting hundreds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m and throwing <strong>the</strong>ir bodies into <strong>the</strong> river. Up to 32,000 Jews were forced to cross <strong>the</strong> Dniester by late July/early August 1941. This figure is derived from various reports and orders <strong>the</strong> gendarmes were given to prevent <strong>the</strong> return <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se Jews to Bessarabia. Of <strong>the</strong> roughly 32,000, a mere 12,600 escaped; <strong>the</strong>y were subsequently pushed back to Bessarabia from Ukraine via Cosauti and interned in <strong>the</strong> Vertujeni camp. At least 8,000 and up to 20,000 Jews were killed on <strong>the</strong> Ukrainian side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dniester by German and Romanian soldiers. Thus 32,000 Jews must be added to <strong>the</strong> roughly 80,000 found in Bessarabia by <strong>the</strong> Romanian army. This amounts to 112,000 Jews living in Bessarabia at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> its occupation. But this figure is incomplete. In Ukraine, as <strong>of</strong> August 16, 1941, <strong>the</strong> German army had captured at least 11,000 Jews trying to flee to Russia. Therefore, at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Romanian occupation <strong>of</strong> Bessarabia, <strong>the</strong>re
were at least 122,000 Jews. Bukovina. According to an April 9, 1942, report by <strong>the</strong> governor <strong>of</strong> Bukovina, 103,172 Jews lived <strong>the</strong>re before <strong>the</strong> deportations, and <strong>the</strong>re were 11,923 Jews living in Dorohoi. In total, <strong>the</strong>re were 170,962 Jews living in Bukovina and Bessarabia at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> deportations and after <strong>the</strong> implementation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> order to cleanse <strong>the</strong> land. The Number <strong>of</strong> Jews Killed during <strong>the</strong> “Cleansing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Land” in <strong>the</strong> Transit Camps and during <strong>the</strong> Deportations The exact number <strong>of</strong> Jews killed from <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> July to <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> August 1941 remains unknown, as does <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> Jews who managed to escape to <strong>the</strong> Soviet Union. What is known from government documents is that most Jews from villages and towns in sou<strong>the</strong>rn Bukovina and in Bessarabia were murdered by <strong>the</strong> Romanian army and local population. Likewise, it is known that Einsatzgruppe D killed thousands <strong>of</strong> Jews in Cernauti and Bessarabia. The only figures about <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> Jews murdered are those mentioned in Romanian documents: up to 25,000 in Bessarabia (<strong>the</strong> Nicolescu report) and up to 20,000 during <strong>the</strong> “hasty deportations.” Additionally, <strong>the</strong> rescuer Traian Popovici refers to roughly 15,000 Jews murdered in <strong>the</strong> villages and towns <strong>of</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Bukovina, who were murdered by <strong>the</strong>ir neighbors and <strong>the</strong> Romanian army. More than 45,000 Jews—though probably closer to 60,000— were killed in Bessarabia and Bukovina. The Number <strong>of</strong> Jews Deported There were 147,712 Jews deported in 1941, according to <strong>the</strong> reports <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> governors <strong>of</strong> Bukovina and Bessarabia to <strong>the</strong> Ministry for <strong>the</strong> Administration <strong>of</strong> Bukovina, Bessarabia, and Transnistria (CBBT). Out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se, 91,845 were from Bukovina (including <strong>the</strong> counties <strong>of</strong> Hotin and Dorohoi) and 55,867 were from Bessarabia. It is possible that <strong>the</strong> real number was higher. The December 15, 1941, report <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gen. C.Z. Vasiliu, inspector-general <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gendarmerie, indicated that 108,002 Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina were deported to three counties (judete) in eastern Transnistria along <strong>the</strong> Bug River: 47,545 were interned in Tulcin; 30,981 in Balta; and 29,476 in Golta. On December 24, 1941, <strong>the</strong> SSI reported to Antonescu that in western Transnistria—west <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jmerinka-Odessa railroad, to be more precise—<strong>the</strong>re were 56,000 Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina and a small number <strong>of</strong> Jews in o<strong>the</strong>r counties. These two reports were drafted around <strong>the</strong> same time and discuss two different areas <strong>of</strong> deportation. They suggest that in December 1941 <strong>the</strong>re were at least 164,000 Romanian Jews in Transnistria. To this figure must be added 6,737 Jews deported in 1942—4,290 from Bukovina, 231 from Bessarabia, and 2,216 from <strong>the</strong> Regat and sou<strong>the</strong>rn Transylvania. After this deportation, only 17,159 Jews were left in Bukovina (not including <strong>the</strong> Dorohoi district), <strong>of</strong> which 16,794 lived in Cernauti. Toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> Jews in Dorohoi <strong>the</strong>y formed a Jewish population <strong>of</strong> 19,475 people. In all, <strong>the</strong> total number <strong>of</strong> Jewish deportees from Bessarabia, Bukovina, Dorohoi and <strong>the</strong> Regat was between 154,449 (147,712 plus 6,737) and 170,737 people (164,000 plus 6,737). The Number <strong>of</strong> Romanian Jews Who Survived in Transnistria On November 15, 1943, an <strong>of</strong>ficial report sent to <strong>the</strong> Presidency <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Council <strong>of</strong> Ministers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Romanian government indicated that 49,927 Jews were alive in Transnistria, <strong>of</strong> which 6,425 were originally from <strong>the</strong> Regat. The conclusion that can be drawn is that until November 15, 1943, between 104,522 and 120,810 Romanian citizens <strong>of</strong> Jewish descent died in Transnistria.
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Final Repo
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Germany’s war against the
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which includes reputed experts led
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BACKGROUND AND PRECURSORS TO THE HO
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against which antisemites in <stron
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declaring in the p
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them. Thus, he con
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We must organize ourselves for a wa
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ureaucracy of wart
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this direction by Nicolae C. Paules
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promising leader of</strong
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organized a tariff and tax strike.
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Legion of
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less so in Romanian society as a wh
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This ambiguous, self-contradictory
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The Gigurtu government began to con
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The Case of Român
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Cuza’s argument that it is possib
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Românesc,” Sociologie Româneasc
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ole in the early 1
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European states, notably Romania an
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Germany's immediate interests at <s
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eligious communities, the</
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counterpart, “when [he] first met
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de Istorie şi Arheologie, “A. D.
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Romania. Muler to Luthe</st
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demands on territorial revisions an
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military mission to come to Romania
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High Command, informing the
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The Jews and the R
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Romanian army. Thus, in Ciudei in <
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antisemitism in Romanian society an
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Ibid., fond Micro-films, roll I.II,
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manifestations of
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power, as this power colonized West
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attraction, many Jews resettled in
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to defend itself; hence its support
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Page 77 and 78: Nichifor Crainic, “Dupa douazeci
Page 79 and 80: Isaia Tolan, “Revizuirea incetate
Page 81 and 82: X. Y. Z., “Rezolvarea problemei e
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Page 85 and 86: Bucharest Prefectura. Almost two th
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Page 89 and 90: from villages and small towns. On J
Page 91 and 92: accident; it was contrived by <stro
Page 93 and 94: The second train to leave Iasi for
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Page 97 and 98: "premilitary," were also placed at
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Page 101 and 102: Tighina Agreement On August 30, Tra
Page 103 and 104: elieved Transnistria would be occup
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Page 107 and 108: those inside to take the</s
Page 109 and 110: [longer] move.” After several wee
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Page 115 and 116: Bukovina and Bessarabia. Einsatzkom
Page 117 and 118: other things, <str
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Page 121 and 122: them in exchange f
Page 123 and 124: transport of 2,000
Page 125: Bulgarian, Turkish, Italian, or Swi
Page 129 and 130: Wilhelm Hoettl, The Secret Front: T
Page 131 and 132: Ancel, Documents, vol. 2: no. 136,
Page 133 and 134: Carp, Cartea neagra, vol. 3: pp. 30
Page 135 and 136: Gosudartsveni Archiv Odeskoi Oblast
Page 137 and 138: Cable from the Mil
Page 139 and 140: 1-1087, p. 114; list of</st
Page 141 and 142: Ibid. “Rezolvarea problemei evrei
Page 143 and 144: child’s birth, would be considere
Page 145 and 146: Indeed, the system
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Page 149 and 150: The Cultural Ghettoization
Page 151 and 152: The Status of Jewi
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Page 155 and 156: Conclusions The anti-Jewish legisla
Page 157 and 158: L.A., no. 99, p. 344. Trei ani de g
Page 159 and 160: moral, social, and intellectual nee
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Page 163 and 164: except being defined as a Jew. I be
Page 165 and 166: egulate and authorize, under <stron
Page 167 and 168: y Lecca: Jews were privileged, and
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their non-evacuate
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villages of <stron
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Return of Roma Sur
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(in many cases, the</strong
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in Romania. History and Contemporar
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THE ROLE OF ION ANTONESCU IN THE PL
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December 16, 1941, meeting
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me from carrying out the</s
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did not do it because…the
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more ironically, this leader’s wa
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THE HOLOCAUST IN NORTHERN TRANSYLVA
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Others 22 968 Magy
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ultimatum but also consented to <st
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military, political, and psychologi
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command over the g
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Huedin. The Jews of</strong
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authorities set up two ghettos in <
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Secuilor counties was carried out i
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the procedure foll
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deportation trains per day. While E
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Deportation Trains from Nor
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Câtcău Kackó Ciuc Csík Ciucea C
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Rona de Sus Felsöróna Rozavica Ro
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Bözödújfalu Bezidu Nou Budfalva
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Nagysajó Şieu (Bistrita-Nasaud Co
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(Indictment of Naz
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Randolph L. Braham, comp. and ed. (
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perceived by a significant part <st
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Romanian government not to adopt <s
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still alive in the
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the Jews who worke
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We have been informed that various
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church bells announce the</
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Mitropolit pleaded with Mihai Anton
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Pozdnyakova, Yefrosiniya Starostina
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Ibid., pp. 224-225. Ibid., pp. 46-4
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the examined cases
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escape with negligible punishment;
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immense scale, enslaved millions <s
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means. The “ethnic Christian stat
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it is evident that the</str
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face să pară evident că victimel
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viaţă, 100 milioane lei amendă
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Articolul 15 al Convenţiei de armi
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members accepted as authoritative s
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camp in January 1945, for several m
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Beginning in the 1
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such access was strictly supervised
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enefit from translation into Englis
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furthermore, he ha
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lucrative Jewish business ever,”
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deaths of thousand
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Treptow who was residing in Romania
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Finally, it must b
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A.) Integral Negationism Although <
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other genocides re
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mankind, such as wars; the<
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age of 44, only on
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After deploring the</strong
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Michael Shafir, “Ex Occidente Obs
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See, for example, Giurescu who make
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Randolph L. Braham, Romanian Nation
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Mediafax, March 18, 2002, Monitorul
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See Ibidem, pp. 3, 54-55. Ibidem, p
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Radu Theodoru, Mareşalul, Editura
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egained from the U
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was a record of an
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secondary school use. Those institu
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including erecting statues, mountin
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